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| This is the story of how a piece of cloth, some yarn, and some purse handles became a tote bag. These are the materials that I started with. The cloth was on sale and I got an even better discount because I bought an already-cut piece of fabric and was, therefore, buying a “remnant.” |
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| I chose a pattern from Jean Leinhauser’s book, 101 Crochet Squares, and I started crocheting. I needed to make eight squares for the tote bag. |
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| I planned for each side to look like this. Unfortunately, I did not have enough black yarn and no way to get back to the store to buy more yarn (it’s not within walking distance and mass transit in my community is atrocious). Well, necessity is the mother of invention so I started crocheting orange squares. |
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| … and I came up with this pattern, which I like just as much, if not more, than the original. |
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| I got out the sewing machine and made the lining for the bag. I included three pockets in the lining to ensure good places for small things, such as cell phones and keys. |
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| My last step was to sew the lining into the bag. |
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| Here is the finished bag.
Question: What sorts of things do you like to make? What do you do when you don’t have all of the material or ingredients needed to make the project as you originally intended? |
I am visiting from the Ultimate Blog challenge. I have to say I love your tote. I love to crochet, but I typically only make blankets. You have definitely inspired me. I look forward to seeing more of your posts and work.
That is a lovely seasonal bag. I love to make things, but I don't often gift myself with the time to do so. When I do take the time, I tend to make cushions and such for my pets. I also make little hamster-shaped bags.
As for what do I do if I run out of material, that hasn't happened in ages. I've become quite meticulous in planning projects as I'm typically designing from scratch. It's more how do I handle a mistake. And, my current tactic is to sleep on it as most of my mistakes occur when I'm tired. Hopefully, by morning, I've figured out a solution and can complete the project.
Oh, what a cute bag! Thanks for sharing. I am currently making coverlets for preemies and a few costumes. I do improvise sometimes, when something is missing.